Romo: Bobblehead is "made-it" moment

Giants distributed figurine of reliever at May 5 game

My first reaction to hearing the news from the Giants that I was getting my own bobblehead this season was simple. I said, "Holy cow. No way!" It was a "made-it" moment for me -- like it was a moment that confirmed I had arrived. After all, they just don't make bobbleheads for anybody, so I was excited.

I then called a lot of friends and family. I called my parents, and I was like, "You won't believe this, but I am getting my own bobblehead." They didn't believe me. They figured I was joking with them. But when they came out with the first prototype that was really proof that it was happening. I got to have a say in what it looked like and they gave it away on Cinco de Mayo (May 5) to fans during a home game. It seemed fitting, it seemed perfect.

Before that, I got to see the process unfold. I didn't have a certain way I wanted it to look. At first glance, though, I noticed my skin tone was a little dark and my pant legs were down. I was like, "I really need to hit the tanning booth before they give this out." It did have the right baseball look -- my looking up to the sky and my right hand raised and my index finger extended up -- and I had a big smile on my face.

They also made two separate ones -- the Cinco de Mayo one has a Mexican flag at the base of it and the one they handed out at the stadium has a regular brown base. As I think about it all now, it just works for me.

When the game started, they gave out the dolls to the first 25,000 fans as they entered the ballpark. It seems that I have already signed at least half of them. The fans came out, and it was very gratifying to see them carrying them around. It was a tremendous moment for me. Even thinking about my getting a bobblehead blows me right out of the water. The first one I was asked to sign really took me aback for a moment. It had to click in my mind as to what I was just asked to do. Each time it made me feel very, very special.

We soon left for a road trip, but when I get back, I will make sure I get a couple boxes of them. Fortunately, I had some 80 friends and family members at that game, so a lot of them already have one. Some folks have already put in their order, so to speak, for one. I have a lot of cousins and aunts and uncles to take care of along with some of the older members of our family. It is great to share this with all of them.

Giants reliever Sergio Romo has pitched for San Francisco since 2008. He has not allowed a run this season, and in his career, spanning 217 games (all in relief), the right-hander from California has a 17-7 record with a 2.23 ERA and three saves.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.